Maddie Westenberg is an Undergraduate Researcher pursuing a degree in biochemistry. She is working on a computational project to model the PURE system in synthetic cells. Her interests include synthetic biology, astrobiology, reading, hiking, and playing the clarinet.
Contact: robi1368@umn.edu
Abbey graduated from the University of Missouri in 2018 with her B.S. in Biological Sciences. During her undergraduate years, she worked as a researcher in Dr. Troy Zars’ lab studying thermogenetic tools in Drosophila.
In 2019, Abbey joined the Adamala lab as a graduate student in MCDB&G. Her interests include tool development, astrobiology, and environmental biotechnology. In her free time she enjoys cooking, traveling, and hanging out with her dog, Blue.
Contact: christot@umn.edu
Postdoc, expert in microfluidics.
Chris Deich graduated from the University of Eau Claire-WI in 2016 with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He spent two years working at the Veterinary Diagnostics Lab on the UMN St. Paul campus before moving to the Adamala lab. Research interests include protobiology and using synthetic minimal cells as bioreactors. In his free time he enjoys reading science fiction, listening to music and camping on the weekends.
Works on projects jointly with Engelhart lab.
Contact: deich010@umn.edu
I am working on a B.S. in Genetics, Cellular Biology, and Development at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and I am expected to graduate in spring 2020. After graduation I plan on going to grad school. Some of my research interests include diseases, drug therapies and delivery, vaccines, stem cells, and synthetic biology. Some of my other interests include shopping, Netflix, and hanging out with friends.
Contact: stoke102@umn.edu
Contact: bfbachan@umn.edu
Contact: pawla019@umn.edu
I am working on my B.S. in Biology at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and expected graduation is spring 2019. After graduation, I am unclear of my career path. My undergraduate research career started at the Adamala and Engelhart Lab working alongside Brock Cash beginning January 2018. Some of my research interests include; medical research, biosynthetic research, and evolutionary biology. In my free time, I enjoy music, drumming, computers, video games, travel, and working out.
Contact: baydo004@umn.edu
Ali is a Lebanese-Australian International Student pursuing a B.S in Biology and a minor in Leadership.
My research interests include; cell and disease biology, medical research and behavioral education research. Other interests include: sports, Art, reading, music, Netflix and travel.
Ali works on projects jointly with Engelhart lab.
Contact: cash0066@umn.edu
Brock Cash graduated from Bethel University in 2012 with a B.S. in Chemistry.
He spent his undergraduate years working for Life-Science Innovations helping research novel vaccines for the poultry industry, and, upon graduation, worked in Quality Control and as an Electrician until pursuing an M.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology in 2015 at Saint Cloud State University. His thesis focused on using Yeast-Two Hybrid screens to discover and characterize putative protein partners of a suspected DNA licensing protein in Toxoplasma gondii, and graduated in late 2016.
He recently finished an internship with Life-Science Innovations exploring the application of Fluid Bed Coating for vaccine development. In 2016, Brock joined the Adamala-Engelhart Lab to work on current projects.
In his free time, Brock enjoys ordering himself and creating disorder around him (typically in the form of eating food), reading, music, and learning about history and its relation to geopolitics.